Branded

The film centers on the Soviet milieu of the early 1980s, a period of stagnation shadowed by growing Western influence. It tracks Misha’s ascent as branding becomes a tool of social engineering. The narrative spans several years, capturing the slow creep of globalization into everyday life and the resultant pushback against advertising.

The story opens in early 1980s Soviet cities where state controls collide with rising consumer imagery. Separate scenes unfold on a private Polynesian island where Western brand strategists brew global campaigns. These settings juxtapose rigid state power with audacious capitalist experimentation, highlighting how place shapes perception and power.

💡 Branding Power

Branding emerges as a force that shapes reality, not just sells products. Misha’s talent allows him to steer public perception and mass behavior. The film treats campaigns as living forces that cultivate desires, fears, and loyalties across society. The line between persuasion and control becomes increasingly blurred, suggesting brands may steer more than markets.

🧠 Manipulation

Marketing is depicted as cultural engineering, turning imagery and slogans into near-omnipresent influences. The branding creatures symbolize the subconscious pull of consumerism on individuals. Protests and censorship reveal the dangers of unchecked persuasion. The narrative probes whether people can resist a system engineered to commodify life.

🌐 Globalization

A clandestine clash between a private-island think-tank and state-influenced media frames a fight over global beauty norms and profits. The Extreme Cosmetica project becomes a microcosm for multinational branding’s reach and ethical ambiguity. As advertising expands, societies wrestle with regulation, consent, and the true cost of a brand-driven world.